() — The United States Government is helping in the investigation that is being carried out into the loss of some 19,000 doses of fentanyl from the Hospital Complex of the Social Security Fund of Panama, according to the US ambassador to the country, Mari Carmen Aponte.
“There is an investigation into what happened to those vials (of) fentanyl. The United States is helping and I have no other comment, except that we are supporting the investigation,” the ambassador commented over the weekend after being consulted by national media.
The Attorney General of Panama, Javier Caraballo, reported last week that there are no detainees related to this case, but there are two open investigations for possible crimes against the public administration. On Thursday, he told local media that fentanyl “is an opioid that is highly valued by drug cartels internationally,” although he did not provide further details.
For that same reason, fentanyl is manufactured and trafficked in the illegal market. The one sold on the streets rarely meets the same standards as the one used in hospital facilities and for medical purposes.
The director of the Panama Social Security Fund, Enrique Lau Cortés, told local media that he is pleased with the help from the US authorities.
“They have a lot of experience, they lead the frontal combat against this scourge and I think that the experiences they have will help us a lot to clarify (the issue). What I do believe is that we should provide all the necessary information,” said the official.
Prosecutor Caraballo said that an audit carried out did not reveal an estimate of the cost of the lost drug, but he assured that the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office is taking steps to establish possible patrimonial damage.
